Man's Complete Knife Guide

Every Knife A Man Will Ever Need

Does your knife collection look like an arsenal dump? Do you have a fleet of dull and chipped, or rusty and flimsy blades? Do you still have that cheap knife you picked up at the supermarket because your vacation rental was stripped bare? Do you use your knives more often for home repair than meal preparation? Are you ready to upgrade because you’re getting serious about cooking? Whatever reason brought you to us, we are here to help. Check out the Knife Skills app for even more in-depth instruction.

The Knife Collection

Photos courtesy Messermeister and Friedr. Dick Corp.

The Three Essential Knives

Yes, you read that right. You really only need three knives. Really. So, forget the wooden block starter set. Rid yourself of the “more is more” mentality. The following three knives are the most crucial blades to have in your kitchen, in order of importance.

The Chef's Knife

Ask any chef or serious foodie what the most important tool in their kitchen is — not the most important knife, but the most important tool — and see what answer you get. The answer 99.9% of the time will be “my chef’s knife.” The reason being that this baby can handle almost every kitchen task.

The chef’s knife, also known as a cook’s knife or French knife, comes in blade lengths ranging from 6 to 12 inches, though a blade between 8 and 10 inches is most common and generally the most comfortable to use. The width of the blade and the shape of the edge are a matter of design. The differences may seem subtle, but blade shape dictates the optimal cutting technique for which the knife is designed. For example, a chef’s knife made by a German manufacturer typically has a wide blade with a pronounced curved edge, known in the biz as a “big belly.” A French-style knife is slimmer and has a triangular blade that makes it an ideal tool for chopping with a slicing motion. A Santoku, the Japanese equivalent of a chef’s knife, has a curved spine and straighter edge. The Santoku blade also tends to be shorter than most European-style knives.

The Paring Knife

Though the chef’s knife is a cook’s most reliable companion in the kitchen, sometimes it is safer and easier to use a small blade for small jobs. For such times, you will need a paring knife. The blade length of a paring knife is generally 2 to 4 inches, with 3 ½ inches considered ideal for most chefs. These knives come in the same shapes as chef’s knives, but the most useful blade is spear-shaped. The point of a paring knife can be used to hull strawberries, trim mushrooms and perform other tasks that are too small or delicate for a chef’s knife.

The Bread Knife

The long blade of a bread knife, generally 10 to 12 inches, is serrated or scalloped from tip to heel. This makes it most suitable for cutting foods that need to be sawed. As its name indicates, the bread knife (or serrated knife) is ideal for slicing bread, which might collapse if cut with a chef’s knife instead. It is also the perfect knife for getting into the hard-rind fruits, like pineapple, with a single pull.